Invited
by seeleybaby
Summary: Sweets challenges Booth and Brennan to invite one another deeper into their own personal lives.
1. Chapter 1

Can I make a confession, and then request to all my homies here on ? First of all, I have to confess…I love Booth and Brennan stories where they grow closer to one another as friends and romantically at the same time. I love that tentative, friendshippy new level of awareness, and all of that. And I like writing those kinds of stories. The problem (for me at least) with those kinds of stories is keeping the characters…well, in character. Especially Brennan. So, as you read this story, I welcome your critical eye. Just because it might be something the characters have never done doesn't necessarily make is OOC, BUT…perhaps I'm merely justifying what I think is a possible scenario. But like I said…give it to me straight with this one, yeah?

It's based on this quote from David Sedaris....

"_My students were middle-class kids who were ashamed of their background. They felt that unless they grew up in poverty, they had nothing to write about....I felt sorry for these kids, that they thought their whole past was absolutely worthless because it was less than remarkable_."

~~ David Sedaris, January Magazine

But enough about that...one with the story!

--b&b--

Dr. Sweets pressed his palms together in front of his chest and considered his next words.

"Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth, I have a task for you."

Booth sighed and Brennan looked at him and raised her eyebrows. "What's the task?" she asked.

Sweets nodded. "I want you to both identify some area of your life in which the other is currently not involved, and I want you to invite one another to an event in that area."

Booth shook his head. "No"

Brennan was confused. "Do you mean like, in my bed, or something? Booth isn't there..."

Sweets flushed a bit and gave a nervous laugh. "Um, no, that's...not...not what I meant, but...um...sure...I guess? Agent Booth, comments?"

Booth cracked his knuckles. "If I am ever in bed with Bones, I can guarantee it won't be based on one of your tasks, Sweets."

Sweets nodded. "I feel we have strayed from the original intent. Dr. Brennan, what is an area of your life you feel Agent Booth isn't really a part of."

She considered this. "Well...probably my life as a writer. He knows about it, but...it's not really something we discuss."

Sweets agreed. "That makes sense. Agent Booth, do you concur?"

Booth inhaled through his nose. "I _concur_"

Sweets hid a smile. "Great, okay, so...what about you, Agent Booth? What's an area of your life that so far, Dr. Brennan has not penetrated."

"Do you have to use the word 'penetrated'?" Booth shuddered.

Sweets conceded that with a nod. "Very well, what is an area in your life, she is not a major part of?"

Booth thought about it. "Well, I guess I'd say my life with Parker. I mean, she knows about it, but...it's kind of my time, it's not something I share with her very often."

"I concur" Brennan spoke up.

Sweets nodded and wrote their responses in his notebook. "Okay, then your task begins. You need to invite the other one to some event or something where you previously would not have done that."

Booth and Brennan stood up and walked out of the office...both thinking of what might work....


	2. Chapter 2

As they drove back to her car at the Jeffersonian, they were quiet, each thinking about how to incorporate the other.

"Bones, can I say something?"

"Sure, Booth…of course."

He looked at her. "I want you to know that I never really purposely excluded you from my life with Parker. I never once thought anything like, 'oh, she doesn't belong here', if that makes sense."

She considered that. "It does make sense. And I feel the same way about my writing life. So we agree, we weren't purposely excluding. It's just natural that we have separate lives."

"Yes, Bones. That's what I mean."

"So…what should we do, you think?"

He paused. "Well, I have Parker tomorrow night. He has a hockey lesson, then we were going to cook" Booth grinned, "It's kind of our thing"

Brennan smiled. "Sounds nice"

Booth looked at her as he pulled up to her car. "Want to come along?"

Brennan actually felt a twinge of nervousness. "Okay" she said quickly before exiting the SUV in a hurry. "Yes…pick me up then, tomorrow?"

Booth nodded. "Sure, tomorrow. 3 o'clock?"

She nodded and shut the door, moving quickly to her own car. Her own space.

--b&b--

The next day, Booth felt a little nervous as he picked Parker up for the night.

"Hey, bud!"

Parker smiled, then moved away when Booth tried to ruffle his hair. "Come on, Dad, stop!"

Booth laughed. "Okay…ready for practice?"

Parker nodded and held up his stick. "Ready"

Booth loaded the pads and hockey stick into the trunk and moved to the driver's door.

"Uh, hey Parker?"

"Yeah?"

"I invited Bones to hang out with us today. Is that okay? I should have asked you first, but…."

Parker shrugged. "Sure, but…isn't Bones a girl?"

Booth chuckled. "Yeah, Bones is a girl, I mean, you know, a woman, but…yeah…why do you ask?"

Parker looked out the window. "You just don't usually have girls with you."

Booth raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment. That was true. Well, sort of true. He actually _never_ had girls with him when he had Parker over. Or women…whatever…

She was waiting for them outside her apartment building when they pulled up, and she looked…actually totally appropriate in a sweatshirt and jeans.

As she opened the door, though, he could tell she was kind of nervous, so he didn't mention it.

"Hey Bones." He smiled.

"Hello, Booth. Hi Parker" She turned slightly toward the backseat as she buckled her seatbelt.

"Hey Bones."

Booth held a smile at the way the nickname rolled of his son's lips. Too late now. Sparing a glance her way, it didn't seem like she minded too much.

--b&b--

Brennan was impressed with how good Parker was a skating. "I think he's enjoying this"

Booth turned to her. "You sound surprised, Bones."

She shrugged. "Well, when I was younger, and my parents made me try new things, like ballet or gymnastics, or the cello, I always hated the lessons. I mean, I really hated them. I dreaded them."

Booth smiled. "Yeah, I can see that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Booth held out his palms. "Nothing…just that I know how you get when you hate something. So I can imagine you trying to rationalize your way out of going to cello lessons or whatever."

She thought about being mad for a moment, but decided it wasn't worth it. "Yes, that's pretty much how it went."

He met her eyes then and smiled. She smiled back. "Are you laughing at me, Booth?"

He shrugged. "Well, you're laughing too, so I guess I'm laughing _with_ you, Bones."

She didn't comment further, and turned her eyes back to the ice. After a few moments, she looked back at Booth in small glances, watching him watch Parker. Her mind recognized that this was a part of him she didn't get to see very often, but she wasn't sure how to catalog that information. He was smiling, with pride, she realized. As she focused back on Parker, she saw why. "Booth…did you play hockey when you were young?"

He nodded. "Yeah, not really like this, though. Mostly just on the pond with my brother and neighbors and stuff."

Without thinking, she tapped his chin for a moment. "Is that where that tiny scar came from?"

He swallowed and looked at her. "Yeah" he cleared his throat. "Yes. I fell on the ice and cut my chin open."

She kept her eyes on where her finger was for a few more seconds before pulling back.

"I guess there's a lot about you I don't know." She said quietly.

He leaned forward in his seat and waved at Parker when he looked up. "I guess so."


	3. Chapter 3

When the practice was over, they made their way down to the ice to meet up with Parker.

"Good job, Park-o." Booth held his stick as the boy loosened the laces on his skates.

"Um, yes, Parker. Your skating is very good" Brennan offered.

"Thanks Bones" The boy said as he drank from his water bottle.

"Yeah, thanks Bones" Booth said softly, smiling.

"Bones, have you ever been ice skating?" Parker asked her.

Brennan took a quick step back as if just the question was going to make her have to do it. "No, no…and…no."

Booth smiled. "Well, not today, but maybe sometime we can get Bones out here on the ice, hmmm, Parker?"

Parker nodded. "Yeah, Bones. It's fun. Plus, Dad catches you if you fall sometimes."

Booth eyes met hers for a moment, and she looked away, not sure if that was a good reason to try skating or not.

Booth could see she wasn't going to answer in any affirmative and he bailed her out. "Well, like I said. That's not for today, so…what do you say, off to the store?"

Parker nodded. "Are you cooking with us, too, Bones?"

She bit her lip and nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Is that okay with you?"

Parker shrugged and took his hockey stick back from his dad. "Sure. Can you cook?"

Brennan smiled. "I do okay."

Parker raised his eyebrows. "Well, don't screw it up."

"Parker!" Booth laughed in shock.

"It's okay, Booth. I get it." Brennan smiled. "He's okay. He's just telling the truth."

Booth's eyes narrowed, but he supposed he couldn't really say anything.

--b&b--

They drove to the grocery store near Booth's house, and he and Parker talked about hockey stuff, mostly. Brennan didn't participate in the conversation, as she normally made it a point to not look inferior in any way, even to children.

"Well, what should we cook tonight, Parker?" Booth asked him.

He thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure. What do you think?"

Booth turned to his partner. "Bones? Any thoughts?"

She shrugged. "I'm sure whatever you choose is fine."

Booth thought about it for a moment. "How about spaghetti? We haven't done that for awhile, right, Parker?"

Parker nodded. "Sure…I want to roll the meatballs, though."

Brennan smiled. "Sounds good. I'll make a salad."

Booth caught Parker's eye in the mirror and gave him a warning glance. Thankfully Parker didn't mention the 'no vegetables on Saturday nights' rule and just said nothing.

Brennan caught it though, and figured it was something she'd said. "Or…I'll make a cake for dessert." She offered.

Parker smiled in relief. "Awesome"

Booth nodded at her slightly, letting her know she'd gotten that one right.

--b&b—

Once they got all the ingredients Booth didn't already have, they went back to his house. "Go jump in the shower, bud. Bones and I'll start making the sauce, okay?" he told Parker as they entered with the groceries.

"Okay, Dad. But DO NOT start the meatballs without me." Parker answered seriously.

"We won't" Brennan nodded, honestly as serious, and then she watched as Booth smiled, watching Parker walk down the hallway.

"Parker was quite serious about that." She commented.

Booth turned to her, and for a moment, didn't say anything. They both recognized that this was different.

"Come on to the kitchen" he motioned with his head. "Do you want to chop or squeeze" he asked, holding up the bag of tomatoes.

Her eyes narrowed and she looked like she was actually having a hard time deciding.

Booth hid a smile, "Tell you what, we'll each do both, yeah?" He tossed her an apron then tied one around his own waist.

--b&b—

Booth was experiencing that weird feeling. That feeling like he'd maybe been in this exact situation. And yet, he knew it wasn't a situation he'd ever been in, cooking spaghetti, in his kitchen, with his partner and his son. It was almost as if he was having a dream, one of those where different parts of your life come together in a way you'd never expected, like dreaming of an old teacher at your job, or someone from church at a crime scene or something. It felt like a dream, but not one he'd ever had before.

It felt strange and right and connected and disconnected at the same time.

If Parker noticed his awkwardness, he didn't comment, and just kept busy with tasks he was given. Booth could tell his partner sensed it though, because she was quiet. Of course, maybe she was just feeling the same way.

Brennan watched as Parker rolled the ground beef into small balls before placing them into the skillet on the stove. She smiled at the way his previously wet hair was drying in a goofy way, and she guessed that if Booth's hair was longer and untouched, it might dry in the same way.

She paused then and concentrated on the ingredients for the cake. It would not do to think of Booth like that. She was sure that wasn't the point of Sweets' task.

"So what do you normally do when you cook?" Brennan asked.

Booth looked up. "What we're doing, Bones."

"Oh…" she felt sheepish, "I just thought maybe you, I don't know…I don't know what I thought."

"Sometimes we tell jokes" Parker offered, and both Booth and Brennan were shocked for a moment at the way he'd kind of smoothed things over.

"He's got your way with people" Brennan murmured, but not really to Booth.

Booth smiled though. Yeah, that was nice. "Got any good jokes, Parker?"

"Hmmm….what kind of ring is a square, Bones?"

Brennan looked up. "Um…well, normally I would say that is impossible as a circle, or ring, by definition cannot have a starting point, so therefore…."she caught Booth's smile, and paused. "but…that's probably not the answer, so…I don't know, what kind of ring is a square?" she finished.

"A boxing ring" Parker smiled.

Brennan chuckled. "That is a good one. A boxing ring." She looked at Booth, and he smiled at her, and again he had the feeling they were thinking the same thing, this time their minds rushing back toward another case, one involving a boxing ring, a red dress and a….well, a lot of things neither one had thought about for awhile.

"Dad, the water!" Parker called his attention to the boiling noodles.

"Ah, thanks Parker" He quickly pulled the pot over to the sink and drained the spaghetti into the colander, glad for the heat rushing up to his face, glad for an excuse to put it on. He was pretty sure that wasn't what Sweets had in mind when he'd proposed this task.


	4. Chapter 4

They all helped set the table, and ate together. Brennan began feeling an unidentifiable feeling in her stomach. Nervous, maybe, but…safe…but still….not quite comfortable. Booth was asking Parker about school, so she listened in on that.

"It's okay. I like math."

"That's nice, Parker. I also liked math." Brennan smiled when she saw Parker slurp a noodle into his mouth.

"Parker…" Booth warned quietly.

"NO!" Brennan spoke loudly, and both Parker and Booth looked at her questioningly.

"What's the matter, Bones?" Booth asked her, but she didn't answer, and instead stood up.

"I think I'll check the cake."

Booth stood up and followed her to the kitchen. "Bones, did I do something wrong?"

She turned around and he could see she was confused about something.

"Okay…Bones….proceed rationally?"

She nodded and paced a bit. "Parker is your son."

"Yessss……"

"And he lives here, sometimes with you."

"Yes, Bones….what…"

She sliced a hand through the air, and he took the hint, letting her continue.

"Booth….if you have spaghetti with Parker, just the two of you, would you have spoken to him about slurping?"

"No. I would not"

She nodded. "So…don't"

"What?"

"Don't do that. Just because I'm here, don't do that." She bit her lip nervously.

"Okay….okay, Bones…sure….I was just trying to be polite."

She nodded. "Okay, but…it's not supposed to be like that, though, right? I mean, do you think Sweets meant I was supposed to act like your company?"

Booth shrugged. "I don't know…but…we should get back in there, I think before he comes in here."

Brennan nodded and followed him back to the dining room. If Parker had heard anything, he didn't comment.

Booth sat down and smiled. "Well, Parker, Bones here was telling me that she wants to join the contest."

Parker smiled and looked at her. "You did?"

She smiled nervously. "Yes?"

"Awesome, Bones!" Parker's eyes were excited. "Well, I guess we'll see who the winner is, right, Dad?"

"Right, bud. So, Bones, you have to find the longest noodle in your plate, and then slurp it up, without stopping."

She smiled looked to her plate. "Okay…."

"Bones, you are so going down" Parker laughed.

She looked up. "Down where?"

"No, Bones" Booth laughed. "Down in defeat. It means he thinks he's going to win, but he's not, because…_I'm_ going to win."

She smiled when Parker laughed.

--b&b--

They were both surprised, but pleased when Brennan won, and she celebrated by making Booth put icing on the cake and serve her and Parker.

"Good prize, Bones." Parker smiled, and Brennan nodded. "I agree."

Booth sighed dramatically and shook his head as he slid the cake onto their plates. "It's not fair. And I think Parker switched my plate with yours when we were in the kitchen."

Parker was offended. "Dad, I did not!"

Brennan was equally offended. "Booth! You are being a sore loser." She shook her head at him and Parker nodded. "Yeah, Dad."

Booth hid a smile and licked a bit of icing from his thumb. "Oh yeah? Well, I guess we'll just have to have a rematch sometime." He faltered a bit at the end, realizing that he'd kind of invited her over again, even though that wasn't part of the original task.

"Maybe" she smiled.

--b&b—

After dinner, Booth let Parker out of KP and let him watch TV while the two adults cleaned up.

"Thanks for inviting me, Booth. I had a nice day." She said as she washed the plates.

He tossed the towel over his shoulder and leaned against the sink. "Yeah, me too."

They stood in silence for a moment, and he started drying again. "What do you think Sweets is trying, here, Bones?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I usually don't know with the tasks. But…I'm guessing maybe to get us closer together?'

Booth pursed his lips and his brow furrowed, but he didn't comment.

"What do you think, Booth?"

He turned his head from one side to the other. "I don't know. Maybe getting us to see that there is more to each other than the job."

She nodded. "That makes sense. And I think that happened today. For me at least."

"Oh yeah?"

She paused for a moment, her hands still in the water. "Yes. I mean, I got to see you as a dad. I know you're a father, but…I don't really ever see it up close. It was nice. Parker likes you a lot, and it's clear you are proud of him."

Booth smiled a very pleased smile. "Thanks, Bones" He tilted his neck to the side and looked at her from the corner of his eyes while standing next to her. "I think he likes you too."

Brennan didn't comment on that, and instead pulled the saucepan over to the sink.

--b&b--

When they were done, they walked into the living room to see that Parker had fallen asleep on the couch.

"Oh…" Booth sounded unsure.

"What's the matter?" She asked him.

"Well, I was going to drive you home, but…I hate to wake him up."

"That's okay" Brennan pulled out her phone. "I'll just call for a cab."

Booth shook his head. "Bones, no…come on…"

"Booth…it's not that big of a deal."

He took a breath. "I'm not used to this."

"What, having a woman over?' She teased.

"Uh, yes, actually" Booth chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "at least, not with Parker here."

"Oh, I see…that makes sense. But…."

He picked up his son. "I'm sorry Bones. Next time, I'll be sure to take you home before he falls asleep." He said as he walked down the hall.

She dialed the number for a cab, then sat on the couch, wondering why he'd said next time, again.

--b&b--

When he came back out, he sat next to her. "Did you call a cab?"

She nodded. "Yeah, they said about 20 minutes."

Booth picked up the remote and turned the TV on mute. "So, Bones" he stretched. "What are you going to make me do from your life, hmmm?"

She looked at his stomach, then away. "Well, I'm taking you to my creative writing class on Monday night."

He brought his arms down in a hurry. "What? No…Bones…come on….no way."

"What? You invited me into part of your life, and the writing class is part of mine. I don't always get to go, but I try to, and I like it."

"Bones, I'll hate it."

"That's not fair, Booth. I did your thing."

"Yeah, but you liked it."

She crossed her arms. "Okay, but…I didn't know I was going to until I actually did it. How do you know you won't like the writing class?'

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Let me guess, the teacher…is some kind of tweed jacket wearing geek with glasses and a love for, I don't know, Hemingway or something."

"Well, he prefers to be called a 'facilitator', but…" she paused when Booth snorted.

"No way, Bones."

She stood then. "Well, I think I'll wait outside then.", and she walked toward his door.

He beat her to the door and stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Wait."

For a moment, she refused to meet his eyes, but when she did, she was surprised to see how close he was. As if he was just realizing as well, he dropped his hand, but didn't move back. "Bones, you're going to wait outside just because I won't go to your class?"

"Yes…no.." she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Possibly."

He took a step back then and crossed his arms over his chest in a matching pose. "So what?"

"Booth….you know what? It doesn't matter…Sweets was right. You only like to do things you're good at."

"Bones…" he huffed, "what the heck?"

She took a breath. "You only want to do something if you know you'll succeed. Do you think it was easy for me to be here today? I mean, yes, I had fun, but…this morning, I almost called you 10 times to cancel. I was…"she paused and looked down. "nervous…you know how I am about family stuff." She straightened her shoulders and looked up then. "But…I did it. Because I said I would. So…yes, if you're not going to do that, then, yes, I'm going to wait outside."

She turned then and opened the door, and he pushed past her to the steps, this time catching both her arms in his hands. "Okay, okay, Bones. I'll go to your class."

She looked up at him. "Okay"

"Okay" he repeated.

They stood like that for a few moments until a car pulled into the driveway

She swallowed and glanced down to one of her arms. "That's the cab."

He released her, and took a step back into his house. "Goodnight, Bones. Call me when you get home."

"Good night" was all she said as she made her way to the cab.

He watched as she got in and was driven away.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note: I wrote this story last summer, before season four, and before any of the Booth's family past stuff was brought into the BONES canon. This chapter will be contradictory to that whole storyline, but I decided not to change it. I guess the point of this note is just to say, yes, I know Booth didn't have a perfect childhood. ___

Booth flipped open his phone as soon as he saw that she was calling.

"Hey"

"Hello. I'm home." She told him.

He sighed. "Look, Bones. Listen…this creative writing class…do I have to take notes and stuff?"

He could hear the smile in her voice. "No, but…you might have to write something, so bring a pen. You can bring your naked lady pen, if you want, but…you wouldn't want the other writers to think you're uncivilized."

"Hey…I'll have you know some of the most impressive art in the world includes naked people."

"They're nudes, Booth…and that pen is not an impressive work of art." Her voice was droll over the line.

He laughed. "Yeah, I guess not. Okay, well, then I guess I'll see you on Monday."

"Yes, Monday." She said as she hung up.

Booth closed his phone, feeling at least comfortable with the idea that she wasn't upset with him.

--b&b--

Once Monday rolled around, Booth found himself putzing around his office, looking for things to do.

"Hey Charlie" he called on the intercom.

"Yeah, Booth?" The junior agent called back.

"Got any leads? Anything at all that I might need to look at tonight?" Anything!

"Nope, sorry, Booth. My desk is clear, knock on wood. In fact, since it's 5:00, I think I'm going to head out. Charlie Jr.'s got a soccer game tonight, so I want to head home for that. Okay with you?"

Booth sighed. "Sure, see you tomorrow." He pressed the button to end the connection and sat back in his chair, pressing his hands to his eyes. Didn't anyone have the decency to murder on Mondays anymore?

The feel of his phone vibrating in his pocket cut off his thoughts. "Booth"

"Hey, Booth. I was just wondering if you wanted to meet me for the class at the university, or if you wanted me to pick you up."

He groaned. "Neither. I'll pick you up."

"Booth…that's crazy. I'm the one who invited you, so…"

"Bones…if I have to go to this thing, I'm driving, okay? Final."

"Okay, okay…well, pick me up at 5:45, okay?"

He checked his watch. 5:10. "Yeah, okay, Bones."

That didn't give him much time to get home and change, but if he hurried, he could probably make it. It was enough time for the world to end, so…he would just hold onto that possibility.

--b&b--

At 5:45 on the dot, Booth knocked on her door, and Brennan opened it up. She looked…smart. She wasn't in a suit, but it was a sweater with buttons on one shoulder and bows near the sleeves. He looked down at his t-shirt and jeans. "Am I dressed okay?"

She looked him over, then again. "Yes, you look good. I mean, fine…I mean….let's go."

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, let's go."

Once they got to the university, they pulled into a spot and walked inside. Booth groaned when he saw the seats arranged in a circle.

"Booth…."

He looked at her. "If I told you that I couldn't be here because it was against my gambling rehabilitation to sit in a circle, would you let me leave?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Is it?"

He shook his head. "No…but it could be…."

She stopped in the doorway. "Just go home then. Leave me alone. I don't want you here if you are going to embarrass me."

He felt bad then and stood up straighter. "Okay, Bones. I get it. I'll be good. I promise."

She nodded, and they walked in.

"Okay, everyone, gather round!" the facilitator clapped his hands three times.

Brennan could feel disdain from Booth, but he held his tongue as they sat in chairs.

"As you know, I'm Richard, and I'm the facilitator to your freedom of the written word. Oh, it seems Dr. Brennan has brought a friend. Another best selling crime novelist, Dr. Brennan?"

"No, this is my partner, Seeley Booth" Brennan smiled.

"_Special Agent_ Seeley Booth." Booth added under his breath, then also smiled. "Uh, it's nice to be here" he offered.

Richard smiled. "Well, we're glad to have you here on our journey. Tonight's topic is embracing the coals of our past troubles to produce diamonds in our lives."

Booth dropped his phone beside Brennan and when he picked it up, he leaned toward her ear. "_Bones_…_is this guy for real_?"

She ignored him and pulled out paper for them both as well as two pens. With her eyebrows raised, she offered him one, but he smiled and pulled his own from his jacket pocket.

"Tonight's assignment is to choose a traumatic episode from your childhood. Write for 30 minutes about that time in your life."

Booth leaned over to whisper in his partner's ear. "Bones, I don't have any traumatic experiences. This is why I hate this stuff."

She hissed back. "Just…think of something!"

"I can't make it up, Bones" he wasn't whispering anymore, and everyone in the room was looking at them.

"What seems to be the trouble, _Special Agent_ Booth?" Richard asked him, coming over to the two of them.

"Okay, I'm going to let _that _go….but…yeah, okay. I'll tell you. I didn't have a traumatic childhood. It was good. Fine. And I don't need to sit here and pump out coal just to produce a fake diamond."

"Booth…"

"Dr. Brennan, it's okay." Richard held up a hand, "Agent Booth, you seem to be under the impression that this is fake."

"No, not fake…but, for me it would be. I'm sure there are people here who had tough childhoods. But I didn't, so…."

Richard nodded. "Okay, then…choose something else."

"What?"

Richard shrugged. "Choose something good to write about. It doesn't matter to me. The point is the writing."

That took the wind out of his sails a bit, and Booth took a deep breath. "Okay…I can do that."

Richard pulled out a timer and set it for 30 minutes. "When the timer goes off, we'll get into our small groups to discuss."

Booth pulled at his collar with that, but…he'd face that when he came to it.

--b&b--

He watched as his partner began writing and he was curious to know what she was writing about. He knew some about her childhood, but not much. He wondered if he would have been friends with her if they'd known each other. Probably not. He was older, and he knew she wouldn't have been the type to hang out on the basketball court.

What could he write about? He looked at her for another moment, then had an idea. With a smile, he turned to his paper.

29 minutes later, he was surprised when the timer went off.

"It's over?" he asked Brennan, and she smiled.

"Yes…well, that part…next we get into groups to share."

"I want to be in your group, Bones."

She nodded. "Okay."

They all paired off into groups of four. Richard told them to pass their papers to the person across from them. Booth handed his paper to a woman who looked like she could be his grandmother. He smiled, and she winked at him. _Oookay…_

He looked down at the paper and began to read.

"Wow"

"Shh…Booth…you're not supposed to comment out loud." Brennan whispered. "You can make notes on the paper, but, don't say anything out loud."

He nodded and picked up his pen.

When the timer went off, he looked up, again surprised at how quickly the time had gone by. He looked up to meet the eyes of….he scanned the paper again….Barbara…. "This is good" he mouthed, and she smiled.

"Okay, pass to the person on your left." Richard told them, and Booth realized he was getting the paper of the man beside him. This man looked to be about 23 and he didn't seem like he'd had much trouble in his life. He also realized his partner was now holding his paper. He was actually kind of nervous about that.

Booth realized quickly that once again appearances could be deceiving as he read the paper of the man next to him. _Oh_…he picked up his pen to make some notes on the paper, his mind now on his task.

When the timer went off again, he looked up, and in a gesture of kindness, patted the man next to him on the shoulder.

Brennan looked at him and Booth met her gaze. It seemed he wasn't embarrassing her, as far as he could tell, and he shrugged one shoulder.

"All right, make the last switch" Richard called to them, and Booth saw his partner's paper in front of him.

It was titled "First Death" and as he read it, he set his pen down on the desk, not making any notes…just reading. It was about her first pet, a fish she'd named Goldie, and he smiled at that. Even then she was literal.

Soon the timer went off again, and papers were passed to the original owners. "Okay, group leaders, you know what to do." Richard advised them.

Booth looked to his partner, but she was looking across the table from her.

"Okay, well…let's get started." The man spoke. "I wrote about my parents getting divorced, how hard that was for me." He stopped then, and Booth wondered what was next.

Brennan spoke up. "Dan, I liked the part especially where you talked about how every time you pack a suitcase, it reminds you of the time your dad packed his for good."

Booth nodded. "Yes…" he looked at his partner, and she nodded slightly. "And I liked the part where you felt you were responsible for your sister. That makes sense." He swallowed. Okay, this wasn't so bad.

Barbara patted Dan's hand. "I loved that you were honest with us and yourself, Dan. You are a good writer. I liked the part where you talked about hearing your mother cry at night. That was sad. But good."

Barbara pulled her own paper up. "Well, as you know, I wrote about the time I lost a baby during childbirth."

Booth found his fists clenching at what his body seemed to feel was an injustice. He spoke up. "I liked the part about how you still thought about your baby, even years later. On birthdays and graduation. All of that. That was…..nice. Barbara…I am so, so sorry."

She smiled at him, and Dan spoke up. "I liked the part where you gave her a name."

Brennan nodded. "I did too, and I liked the part where you talked about how hard it was to do something next. Should you have another baby? Not try again? Even though I've never been in that position…I know the feeling of not knowing what to do."

Barbara smiled. "Thank you."

Brennan held up her paper. "Well, as you know, I wrote about my fish"

"Goldie" Booth interrupted with a smile.

"Yes, Goldie. And how she died."

Dan spoke up. "I liked the part where you talked about how you wore black for a whole week."

Barbara laughed. "Yes, that was fun. I liked the part where you mentioned how your parents had a funeral for it."

Booth smiled. "Yes, that's the part I liked too. How at that moment, you learned to respect the dead." He looked at her then and she smiled back. "Thank you" she responded, keeping her eyes locked with his."

After a moment, Booth cleared his throat and looked down. "Well, as you know, I wrote about falling down during a hockey game and cutting open my chin."

Barbara laughed again. "I liked the part about how your mother made you come into the house, even though the score was tied, and your team needed you."

"I liked the part where you secretly thought it might be worth it later when your dad gave you an extra scoop of ice cream because he thought you deserved it." Dan commented.

Booth smiled and turned toward his partner, all of a sudden anxious to hear her thoughts.

She took a deep breath. "I felt bad when you got hit, but…I liked it when you got up again."

Booth's chest tightened in a not uncomfortable way at that. He blinked then, turning back toward the paper in his hand.

"Thank you" he looked around the circle, then shook hands with Barbara and Dan. He turned to his partner to see she was packing up her paper and pen. "So, that's it, Bones?"

She smiled. "We've been here two hours, yeah, that's it."

He nodded. "Okay…it wasn't that bad, actually." He stood and stretched his arms over his head. "How about some ice cream, hmmm? You know I deserve it."

She laughed at him, and then led the way out of the building. "Okay…"

--b&b--

"You know, Bones…that wasn't that bad" he spoke through a mouthful of ice cream as they walked up the street to his SUV.

"Yes, Booth, you've said that. Three times, now."

"I'm just saying, Bones. I mean, Richard? He was kind of annoying, but…you know, I liked Dan and Barbara."

"Yes, they are very nice." She threw her cup and spoon away in the trash before getting in, then held his ice cream when he was buckling his seat belt.

"Thanks, Bones" he took it back and started the engine. "I'm just saying. It wasn't terrible. So…when's the next meeting?"

She smiled. "Are you serious?"

He shrugged. "What? Was I bad?" he asked, his voice getting lower.

"No…you were fine. Good, actually. I just never thought you'd want to do that again."

He shrugged. "Well…I don't know if I will want to do it all the time, but…it really wasn't that bad. Plus, I get to learn more of your secrets". He laughed. "Goldie."

"Hey. I loved that fish."

He looked at her and smiled. "Yeah…yeah."

They pulled up to her apartment building and he pulled over.

"Want to come up for a bit?" she asked him.

He thought about it, but decided not to. "Not tonight. But…hey…"he touched her arm as she was getting ready to get out. "Thanks Bones. For inviting me. And for letting me hear your story."

She looked at him. "You're welcome."

He let go of her arm, and she smiled as she opened the door.

"Call me when you get home" she mocked, and he laughed, and saluted her as he drove away.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: This is the last chapter of this story. Once again, this was written before Brennan ever saw Booth play hockey, etc…

--b&b--

The next couple of weeks were normal, and except that Booth occasionally called her Goldie, Brenna felt that things were back to normal. On the next Thursday, he came into her office with a question.

"Hey, Bones. What are you doing tomorrow night?"

She shrugged. "Nothing, why?"

He nodded and slid three tickets across her desk. "Hockey game. You, Parker, and me. Can you come along? Parker specifically asked about you."

Brennan looked up then. "He did?"

"Yes. He thought you might like to come along. I asked if he wanted to invite a friend, and he chose you."

Brennan blushed. "Oh….he did?" she asked again.

He laughed. "Yes. He did. Fine by me. So, how about it, Goldie?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't call me that!"

He laughed. "Is that a yes?"

She nodded, then turned back to her computer, "Yes."

"Great. I'll pick you up here, tomorrow, and then we'll go get Parker, okay?"

She nodded, absentmindedly, "Yeah, sure…."

--b&b--

For the next 24 hours, Booth thought he might actually be getting sick. He had a nervous fluttering in his stomach that he couldn't identify. He hadn't felt that way in a long time, so he hoped it wasn't something he'd eaten. It wasn't bad necessarily, which made it harder to define, but by the time he went to pick up his partner, it still hadn't gone away. In fact, the closer he got to her office, the stronger it felt, and it was kind of spreading its way outward over the rest of his body.

When he got to her office, she was in the same position she'd been in the day before, looking at her computer. But this time, whenever she saw something interesting, she wrote it frantically on a little piece of paper. He watched her for a moment, and realized she was also smiling.

"What are you doing, Bones?"

She looked up then and quickly hid the paper. "Nothing."

He smiled and walked closer, leaning over the front of her desk and stilling her hand when she would have closed out the window she was looking at.

"Jokes…for 8 year olds." He read.

He looked at the screen for a moment, and she shrugged. "Yes, I thought maybe it would be a good idea. I'd have something to talk to him about tonight."

He turned toward her then and realized that her face was less than an inch away, their noses actually touching. She spoke again. "I mean, I don't know much about hockey, although I did look that up, too, so I could talk to him."

He cut her off by pressing his lips against hers. She gasped against his mouth and he pulled back, standing straight, equally surprised.

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Thank you" he whispered, and she actually blushed at that.

He took a deep breath and recognized the feeling in his stomach. He was excited to see her. And to spend time with her, and Parker at the same time.

She stood then, and they both silently moved out of her office and out to his SUV.

They didn't speak all the way to Rebecca's house, and Brennan waited in the car while he went to the front door.

She waved at Parker when he came outside, and he smiled and waved back.

"Hi Bones" he said when he got inside the SUV.

"Hi Parker"

"Ready to go?" Booth asked them, and they both nodded.

"Thanks for inviting me, Parker" Brennan looked back at him, then held up her paper. "I wrote some jokes for you."

He smiled. "Cool"

She turned back around and looked at Booth from the corner of her eyes. He was smiling; that was nice.

--b&b--

The game was interesting, and Brennan was intrigued by the aggressiveness of it. She could see how it would appeal to Booth, and at one point, she could imagine him skating with all his might, then sliding across the ice, causing a gash in his chin.

Booth looked over his son's head to see her looking at his chin again. He touched the scar, then winked when she met his eyes.

She shook her head and smiled, then clapped when Parker did.

"You look tired, bud" Booth said to him.

Parker yawned at looked at Brennan. "The second period is over."

She nodded. "Okay, now what?"

He shrugged. "You could tell me a joke."

She smiled and pulled out her bag. "Okay….let's see…Parker…is it me, or does it smell like updog in here?"

His nose crinkled up and he sniffed. "What?"

She looked at the paper. Obviously that was not the correct response for the joke.

Booth smiled. "Updog, Parker. It smells like updog in here."

Parker shook his head. "What's updog?"

Brennan's face brightened and she nodded. "Not much" she read from the paper. "What is up with you?"

Booth laughed at the proud look on her face, and when Parker laughed as well.

"Good one, Bones." Parker smiled, then put his head on her shoulder.

She froze and looked at Booth with an awkward, 'yikes' face. If he could breathe, he would have told her it was fine, but all he could do was smile. She accepted that, and looked back down to her paper.

"Parker, what is black and white and red all over?" she asked him.

"A sunburned penguin?" he asked.

She examined her notes. "Yes, that is a satisfactory response. I also could have accepted a sunburned panda bear or skunk, a newspaper, or a nun in a…blender."

Booth about choked. "Bones!..."

She shrugged as best she could. "It was on the sheet."

He chuckled. "Okay, okay…here's one…Three guys are walking in the desert, but they aren't that smart, you know? But then…they come across a lamp, and when they rub it, a genie appears to grant them each one wish. The first guy, he's kind of smart, definitely the smartest of the three, right?"

Brennan felt rather than saw Parker's head nod.

"Okay" Booth continued. "So…the genie asks him what he wants, and he says water for thirst. Pretty good answer. So, 'poof', he gets water. The second guy…also, not too dumb, he says, 'I'll have a tree, so I can shade myself.' So, 'poof', he gets a tree for shade."

"Practical" Brennan commented, and Booth paused.

"Uh, yeah…anyways…the third guy. Parker, that third guy, he was not smart, but…he knew what he wanted. So he asked the genie for a car door."

"A car door?" Brennan asked him, and Booth gave her a look.

"Oh, sorry…yes….continue."

Booth shook his head. "Parker, a car door. The genie, now…he'd heard a lot, but never that, right? So, after he grants the wish, he asks the third guy why he wanted a car door. Do you know what the guy said?"

"What" Parker and Brennan answered in unison.

Booth paused, then chuckled. "Well, he said he wanted it so that it if it got hot, he could roll down the window."

Brennan paused and thought about it.

"That's funny, Booth" she said.

His eyebrows rose "Then why aren't you laughing, Bones?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it just wasn't as funny as my jokes."

Parker smiled. "Bones wins again, Dad." He said, sleepy

Booth shook his head and smiled, then pointed at her. "I want another rematch."

She smiled, then started when a loud buzzer sounded. "Oh, is the third period starting?"

Booth looked up, and then stood. "No, wow. That was actually the end. We missed the whole thing, because we were telling jokes."

She looked up at him, and then looked down to see that Parker had fallen asleep. "Oh"

Booth smiled, then picked him up from his seat. "Come on, Bones. Let's take him to Rebecca's, and then I'll take you home, okay?'

She nodded, and picked up their trash, "Okay, yes."

They were quiet again as Booth made his way through the crowded parking lot and as they sat in traffic for awhile.

Booth carried Parker up to Rebecca's house, and Brennan watched as he entered. He was in there for awhile, so she guessed he was probably helping put Parker to bed.

When he came back out, he looked tired.

"What's the matter, Booth?" She asked him as he started the SUV.

He looked at her then, and she was surprised by the emotion in his eyes.

"I hate every time I leave him anywhere, Bones."

She looked away then, and he pulled out of the driveway.

"I'm sorry" she whispered.

He nodded. "Thanks"

They didn't say much else as he drove to her apartment.

"Want to come up for a bit?" she asked again, and this time he nodded.

As they rode up the elevator, he thought about her fish story. And he thought about how maybe, just maybe Richard had been right that night. That past troubles could turn to something beautiful. He knew that if Rebecca had stayed with him, this night would not have happened. And while, sure, it was tough to leave Parker at his mom's house, as he watched his partner unlock her door and enter her apartment, kicking off her shoes, he thought maybe, it just might have been worth it.

She turned when she realized he's stopped in the doorway.

"What's the matter, Booth?"

He tilted his head. "Maybe I shouldn't come in."He answered honestly.

She approached him. "Why not?"

He swallowed and his gaze moved to her lips, both of them remembering his earlier kiss in her office.

"Oh" she realized.

He looked up then and met her eyes. "Your call, Bones."

She stood there for a moment, then took a step back. "Come in, Booth." She invited.

He did, and she closed the door behind him.


End file.
